SMR – Staffing Methodology Review
SSP Supplementary Funding
After meetings & meetings and meetings, the first real results have been delivered. Our SSPs which have been poorly served by an antiquated and unfair staffing system for years were thrilled when an interim solution was announced. $37m of supplementary funding is to alleviate staffing pressures in SSPs and inform the future SMR entitlement solution. Many thanks to Anne Flint, Mark Gosbell and Kylee Thorson our PPA/SEPLA principals and the SSP Reference group for their hard work getting this over the line.
The funding is to enable principals to allocate additional resourcing to best suit the needs of their individual students and schools overall. Guidelines on how the funding can be used include:
- increasing executive entitlement and/or funding an existing initiative that is being funded through school or community funds
- increasing the number of school administrative and support staff employees such as school learning and support officers
- engaging dedicated specialists to address areas of specific student / school need under existing public service classifications (e.g. occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech pathologists)
- increasing the capacity for Aboriginal Education Officers’ (AEOs) and other staff members to be utilised for targeted student support across schools in youth justice centres and other SSPs where there is an identified need.
Our next question relates to our mainstream schools that have Support Units and when will there be recognition of their staffing plight e.g. a 7 class Support Unit with a DP on a full class load. The SMR team are onto it!
Staffing
I’ve attended several meetings, including our HR reference Group where many of the pain points & possible solutions have been discussed. Some of the key points being discussed include:
- Executive positions and how they are filled
- Assessing teachers for Executive & Principal positions
- Casual supplementation – two types “Hub & Spoke” and “Inbuilt” a pilot of 47 clusters of schools to be piloted. A mixture of temporary and permanent positions being discussed and the processes and guidelines for these positions. It recognises the difficulties in getting casuals.
- Release time for primary Executive